Home minister, Imkong L. Imchen has said he was “amused” at the utterances of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) which as usual was requesting the chief minister to dismiss him from the cabinet and appoint a new efficient and dynamic leader. “Perhaps, the Congress party has many dynamic and efficient leaders not only for the home ministership but even for chief minister that is why they have got division after divisions within the party who can be chief minister as well as home minister” Imchen ridiculed. Though the Congress has expertise of ruling the state from 1982 to 2003, yet Imchen said the people of Nagaland were still afresh in their memory about the law and order situation in the state where people were scared to break freely during that time. He maintained that extortion, kidnapping and killing were started during the Congress rule and that they cannot wash away their commission and omission. The home minister said there was no problem for him to heed to the advice of the Congress not to talk about the past and not to compare with the past. He also said that the Congress did not want to talk about Naga political problem because they were against the Naga political issue right from the beginning as it was not there in their party political agenda. “Perhaps, they were against the Naga political issue right from the beginning and therefore the NPF doesn’t expect any cooperation from them,” he said. Imchen reminded that formation of the Joint Legislator Forum was a decision in the right direction and that parties discuss issues without attacking each other. He, however, regretted that the Congress had chosen to attack him personally for reasons best known to them. He said that the Congress party could not stand to hear his statement that Nagaland was the most peaceful state in the NE as well as in the country today. He said it seemed to be “very difficult” for the Congress to accept the reality in opposition as opposition because they believe that Congress should be always in the ruling and therefore they were suffering from ruling syndrome. He said this was quite understandable and sympathized with them. “I hope the people of Nagaland will appreciate the above stated position. It is not my intension to spoil the pleasant Christmas and New Year time but, because of the provocation on the Congress party, as such I meant no harm to any section of the people,” Imchen added.Meanwhile, NPF vice president and i.c. press bureau T. L. Merry said that it was very disturbing to note that some leaders and political parties were trying to grab any slight opportunity and over emphasize them for mere political mileage or for the sake of remaining in the news. On tax collection by Naga political organizations, the NPF said that the home minister gave a candid and vivid explanation of the inherent situation which was self-explanatory and that he was in no way “weak and insincere home minister.” He said the government’s machineries have been ceaselessly working, keeping the law and order under control, thereby, bringing down the rate of all antisocial activities in the state, especially Dimapur. (NPF statement on p 4)